Portable boat ramp



N0V 21, 1957 J. w. EDsoN 3,353,363

PORTABLE BOAT RAMP Filed May 17, 1966 ATTORNEY United States Patent C 3,353,363 PORTABLE BOAT RAMP Jerry W. Edson, 1508 S. Seneca, Wichita, Kans. 67213 Filed May 17, 1966, Ser. No. 550,841 7 Claims. (Cl. 61-67) This invention relates to a boat ramp adapted to be utilized on rocky or sandy beaches for beaching a small boat Without dragging the boat up the beach and thereby possibly damaging the hull surface.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a ramp of extremely simple construction which is light in weight so that it can be readily carried by hand, which is capable of being quickly and easily dismantled and the parts folded and stacked in a nested relation for storage or transportation, and which may be quickly assembled for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat ramp which may be adjusted to accommodate boat hulls of different cross sectional shapes and which is capable of providing a stable support for a boat.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE l is a top plan view showing the boat rairnp assembled for use;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional View of the boat ramp taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal substantially central sectional view showing the ramp dismantled with the parts stacked in nested relation for storage or transportation, and

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the portable boat ramp in its entirety is -designated generally 7 and includes a keel rest 8 having an elongated rigid channel member 9 provided with a grooved keel engaging roller 1t) adjacent one end thereof, and a keel receiving block 11 adjacent its opposite end. The channel member -9 includes a flat bottom portion 12 and upstanding, substantially parallel side Walls 13. Posts 14 are secured to and extend upwardly from the side walls 13, adjacent an end 15 of the member 9. An axle 16 extends through and is supported by the posts 14 to rotatively support the groove roller 10 thereon between the posts 14 and above and crosswise of the member 9. The block 11 which is secured in and rises from the channel member 9, adjacent its opposite end 17, has an upwardly opening keel receiving notch 18.

An elongated rigid stabilizing bar 19 is disposed beneath and crosswise of the channel member 9 and has an opening 20 intermediate of its ends to receive a pin 21 which is fixed to and extends downwardly from the bottom 12 and which is located approximately intermediate of the ends of the member 9. Corresponding rigid bolsters 22 are disposed on the stabilizer bar 19 on opposite sides of the member 9 and have adjacent ends which are connected to the stabilizer bar 19 by hinges 23 so that the bolsters 22 can swing upwardly and downwardly. The bolsters 22 are disposed lengthwise of the stabilizer bar 19 and are preferably of inverted channelshaped structure. A pad 24 of any suitable cushioning material is secured to the upper side of each bolster adjacent its outer end.

A rigid brace rod 26 is pivotally connected, as seen at 27, to the under side of each bolster 22, near the outer Patented Nov. 21, 11967 ICC end thereof, for. swinging lmovement in a direction lengthwise of the bolster. Each brace rod 26 has a collar 28 slidably mounted thereon which may be adjustably secured thereto by a set screw 29. The collars and set screws form adjustable abutments or stops. The stabilizer bar 19 has openings 30 adjacent the ends thereof through which free end portions of the brace rods 26 extend.

The ramp 7 is positioned on a beach with the keel rest 8 perpendicular to the waters edge and with its end 15 adjacent the water. The bow of a small boat 31, partially indicated in 'broken lines in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5, is lifted onto the end 15 of the keel rest to position the boat keel 32 on the grooved roller 10. The boat is then pushed or pulled up the ramp 7 toward the keel rest 11 with the weight of the boat being supported on the roller 10. After the preponderance of the weight of the boat has advanced beyond the roller 10, the bow of the boat is manually supported until the boat has been moved onto the ramp to a desired extent. The bow portion of the boat is then lowered to engage the keel block 11, as seen in FIGURE 5, with a part of the keel 32 extending into the notch 18 thereof. Transversely aligned portions of the sides 33 of the boat hull rest on the pads 24, and the bolsters 22 are adjusted so that most of the weight of the boat is supported by said bolsters.

The stabilizer bar 19 functions to prevent any lateral rocking movement of the ramp 7 and the lower ends of the brace rods 26, which are preferably pointed, form stakes which extend downwardly from the under side of the bar 19 and are embedded in the earth or beach to anchor the ramp against movement. It will be obvious that the boat can be readily launched from the ramp 7 by lifting the bow to disengage the hull sides from the pads 24 after which the boat can be pushed rearwardly off of the ramp with the keel 32 riding on the roller 10.

To dismantle the ramp 7 for storage or transportation, it is only necessary to lift the keel rest 8 off of the stabilizer 19 thus disengaging the pin 21 from the opening 20. The bolsters 22 are then swung upwardly to disengage the brace rods 26 from the openings 30, after which the brace rods 26 are swung inwardly into the channels of the bolsters 22, as seen in FIGURE 4. The bolsters 22 are then swung downwardly on the stabilizer bar 19 which is then inverted with the bolsters and positioned on the channel member 9 with the bolsters 22 assuming nested positions within said channel member, as seen in FIGURE 4. The ramp 7 with its parts thus folded and nested may be readily carried manually or conveniently stored.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A portable boat ramp comprising an elongated rigid keel rest having a transversely disposed keel engaging roller adjacent one end thereof, a rigid stabilizer bar having an intermediate portion disposed beneath and supporting a part of the keel rest, said stabilizer bar being spaced from said end of the keel rest and disposed crosswise thereof, elongated rigid bolsters disposed on the stabilizer bar at opposite sides of the keel rest and longitudinally of said bar, means swingably connecting inner ends of the bolsters to said bar for vertical swinging movement, and brace means adjustably connecting the bolsters to the bar for supporting the bolsters at different angles above the bar ends, said bolsters being adapted to engage the sides of a boat hull to cooperate with said keel engaging roller for supporting a boat on the ramp.

2. A boat ramp as in claim 1, said keel rest including a block disposed at the opposite end thereof and having an upwardly opening keel receiving notch.

3. A boat ramp as in claim 1, and a pin detachably :onnecting the keel -rest to the stabilizer bar.

4. A boat ramp as in claim 1, and hull engaging pads xed to and extending upwardly from said bolsters adiacent outer ends thereof.

5. A boat ramp as in claim i1, said brace means in- :luding Arods pivotally connected to the bolsters for swinging movement longitudinally thereof and stops adjustably secured to the rods and bearing against the stabilizer bar.

6. A boat ramp as in claim 5, said stabilizer bar having openings through which the lower ends of 'said brace rods extend, an'd vsaid lower ends of the brace rods forming anchoring stakes adapted to be embedded in the earth.

7. -A boat ramp as in claim 1, said keel -rest including a channel-shaped member, means 'detachably connecting 15 the stabilizer bar to the keel rest, and said channel-shaped member being adapted to receive the -bolsters and brace means when said parts are folded relative to the stabilizer bar and the stabilizer bar is inverted and disposed on the channel-shaped member.

References `v('h't'ed UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,658,354 llll/*1953 Lee 6-1-67 3,139,732 7/19'64 Thor'npso'n 61-65 DAVID I. WILLIAMWSKY, Primary Examiner. JACOB SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE BOAT RAMP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED RIGID KEEL REST HAVING A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED KEEL ENGAGING ROLLER ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, A RIGID STABILIZER BAR HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION DISPOSED BENEATH AND SUPPORTING A PART OF THE KEEL REST, SAID STABILIZER BAR BEING SPACED FROM SAID END OF THE KEEL REST AND DISPOSED CROSSWISE THEREOF, ELONGATED RIGID BOLSTERS DISPOSED ON THE STABILIZER BAR AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE KEEL REST AND LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BAR, MEANS SWINGABLY CONNECTING INNER ENDS OF THE BOLSTERS TO SAID BAR FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT, AND BRACE MEANS ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING THE BOLSTERS TO THE BAR FOR SUPPORTING THE BOLSTERS AT DIFFERENT ANGLES ABOVE THE BAR ENDS, SAID BOLSTERS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE SIDES OF A BOAT HULL TO COOPERATE WITH SAID KEEL ENGAGING ROLLER FOR SUPPORTING A BOAT ON THE RAMP. 